Fox Hunt
by Boondock Jake
Summary: After several murders, an unsure Fox McCloud is sent after the main suspect Wolf O'Donnell who is on the run from something other than the law.
1. Chapter 1

Fox Hunt

_A/N: Here we go! Re-edited version of Fox Hunt. I hope you enjoy this one more than the original. For all you new readers, this is a crossover with one of scfi's bigger icons._

_Star Fox and it's characters do not belong to me, they are copyrighted by Nintendo and Rare_. _Our mystery guest belongs to FOX._

"Yes General. Thank you."

The holographic image of General Pepper blinked a few times then disappeared. Fox McCloud leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head, a slight smile on his muzzle. The team had just finished another successful job for the General and was looking forward to another nice fat paycheck.

"_Maybe we can finally take that vacation."_

The team was in desperate need of one. Corneria had been in dire need of extra protection since the Aparoid Invasion a few months ago. While the city was being re-built, they were a perfect target for enemy forces. Armada's of Andross's remaining forces would often try to attack and the Aparoids had significantly weakened the Cornerian Army. StarFox was constantly on the job, shooting down enemy ships day and night. But with the city finally being finished it's repairs and fresh recruitments to the Army, they could start taking it easy for a while.

And the sooner the better.

Falco was getting more and more difficult to deal with, more than usual. He was often annoying either Peppy and Slippy for his own amusement or blasting his music so loud the whole ship trembled.

Slippy was constantly repairing the Arwings or interior damage to the Great Fox from battles. He would spend days in the hanger or in his room working on all sorts of parts and technical problems. The team rarely saw him unless they were called to duty.

Peppy was feeling like he was in a home. The others would be out dog fighting and he would be stuck at the command center of the Great Fox overseeing the mission. He was more than happy to give his spot to Krystal but being stuck on the ship for months on end made him feel older than he was and utterly useless.

And Krystal...well, Krystal didn't have a problem with anything. She and Fox pretty much kept each other entertained quite a bit.

Fox smiled at that. He remembered the day he worked up the courage to finally tell her how he felt after a year of fantasizing and sweaty palms.

It was a few days after the defeat of the Aparoid Queen and the team was visiting Peppy and the General in the hospital. After seeing his two old friends lying in their hospital beds, bandaged up and bruised, he realized that life was too short, especially in their line of work, to wait on something like this. He pulled Krystal aside when they were alone and poured his heart out to her, afraid to even look her in the eye. But she made him look at her and told him that his feelings were returned. Needless to say, Fox was on Cloud Nine.

But Fox hated that they were stuck on this floating tin can. He wanted to take her out somewhere special. Somewhere glamorous and exotic. He wanted to make love to her in a lavish hotel room instead of his small, messy room where you can hear the Great Fox's engine's running.

Fox's daydreaming was interrupted when he felt two soft hands from behind run up and down his solid built chest. A sweet, soothing voice flowed into his ear.

"Are you coming to bed handsome?"

The vulpine grinned and turned around, grabbing the blue vixen around the waist and pulled her into his lap. "Impatient are we?"

"Hey, it's cold and I need someone to keep me warm all night." Krystal replied, nuzzling his cheek. Fox chuckled and pulled her into a soft kiss. They broke apart and Fox picked her up, carrying her towards his room. Krystal giggled as the door closed behind them.

* * *

Fox awoke the next morning to the sound of his alarm clock. Slapping the snooze button, he turned over to cuddle with Krystal, only to find she was gone. Sitting up and scratching the fur on his head, Fox hopped out of bed and into the shower. After drying off, he changed into his standard uniform and made his way to the kitchen to find Peppy cooking breakfast and Krystal sitting at the table, enjoying her meal of pancakes, bacon and eggs.

"Morning Fox. Sleep well?" Peppy asked, flipping a pancake. "Very well." Fox responded, giving Krystal a coy look. She winked back at him. Peppy shook his head smiling and muttered something about young people. Falco and Slippy entered the room just then, arguing about something.

"Let's ask Fox then!" Falco bellowed. "Fine!" Slippy agreed.

"Now what?" Fox asked, leaning against the counter.

"Who's better at Space Wars? Me or wart head here?"

Peppy sighed and rolled his eyes. Krystal giggled. Fox rested his chin in his hand to implicate he was thinking hard. "Hmm...sorry Falco. Gonna have to go with Slippy on this one."

"Yes!" Slippy shouted, raising his stubby arms up in the air in triumph. Falco gave Fox an evil look.

"You just said that cause he installed that new stereo in your room for you." He stated. Fox chuckled and sat beside Krystal.

"Get over it Falco."

"Yeah. Get over it." Slippy repeated. Falco was about to knock Slippy into the next world when Peppy had enough. "Alright you two, that's enough! Christ, it's like dealing with two children all day."

Falco and Slippy gave each other one last glare before sitting down at the table. Seeing that everyone was here, Fox decided to speak up.

"I talked to Pepper last night and our paycheck is being cashed in as we speak so I've decided we have a little vacation."

"Fuck yeah!" Falco shouted, raising his arms in the air. A look of pure joy and appreciation spread across the face of the others. Slippy leaned forward, almost out of his seat, his eyes as big as saucers.

"Please tell me this isn't a dream Fox." Slippy begged, hope in his eyes. Fox laughed and patted Slippy on the shoulder.

"No dream Slip." He reassured him. The toad slid back down in his seat, staring into space and mumbled something about "no more grease stains".

"Where did you have in mind Fox?" Peppy asked, serving him a plate of breakfast. "Well, I was thinking maybe we could go down to the city for a day or two then head off to Aquas for a week or so."

"I'd be all for that." Falco agreed. "Me too." Slippy seconded.

"Anything is alright with me, just as long as I get off this damn ship for a while." Peppy said. Fox looked at Krystal and asked, "Well Krys?"

"Sounds great." She said, squeezing his knee under the table. Fox smiled.

"Well let's get packing! I want to get off this thing as soon as possible!" Peppy exclaimed throwing down his spatula and headed to his room.

"I better make sure Father Time doesn't break a hip." Falco said with a smirk and headed off after Peppy. Krystal cleaned off her plate and started to clean the dishes but Fox stopped her.

"Hey, hey, none of that. I'm ordering you to get packed and to relax until we're cleared for entry. I'll take care of this."

Krystal only gave him her one of a kind bright smiles and softly dragged her fingers across his stomach as she left. Fox felt a shiver run through his body and watch her leave, the vixen's tail swishing behind her. He chuckled and turned back to the dishes only to notice that Slippy was still sitting at his seat, staring at Fox with those hopeful eyes.

"For the last time Slippy, NO, this is not a dream. Go get packed."

Slippy was off like a shot, heading to his quarters, tripping a few times in the process. Fox laughed out loud and went back to the dishes.

Things felt better already.

* * *

"Holy shit, is the planet's thermostat stuck on high?" Falco exclaimed, walking out of the space port into the sun which stood high in the sky.

"Your not kidding." Slippy panted, wiping some sweat off his forehead. Fox felt the heat hit his body like a tidal wave after stepping out after them. It was unusually hot. In fact, Fox can't recall it ever being this hot when he was on Corneria.

Cornerians were walking about in bathing suits, fanning themselves or chugging on a bottle of water. Waves of heat covered the city, making it dace and sizzle in the background.

"Must be a heat wave." Peppy stated, fanning himself with his hat. Falco shielded his eyes from the sun, looking back at his team mates. "I swear to God, if this some sort of Death Heat Ray from Venom and we get called in, I will personally kill the bastard myself."

"Let's just get to the hotel and get our stuff organized. Then it would probably be a good idea to head to the beach." Peppy suggested, ignoring the avian.

The team agreed wholeheartedly. Calling some cabs, they were on their way to the Corneria Hotel, the biggest one on the planet. It was a towering piece of architecture with over a hundred floors that over looked one of Corneria's sparkling beach's. The cabs pulled up to the main entrance and Krystal was awed by the size of this massive hotel. She had only been to Corneria a few times one being the Aparoid Invasion and to do training exercises on a base away from the city. While it was normal to everyone else, to Krystal this was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen.

The team entered the massive lobby and were greeted by another rush of hot air.

"Christ, I think it's hotter in here than it is outside." Peppy said. Falco was about to agree when two felines walked by in revealing bathing suits, obviously on their way to the beach.

"Relax gramps. The heat can be good for something." He cooed, watching the girls walk out. Fox chuckled and turned around to find Krystal gone. Looking around, he found her staring at the massive staircase that lead up to the second level. He walked up behind her and gently gripped her shoulders.

"Everything okay beautiful?"

"Yeah. It's just...I never seen anything like this. I mean, I've been to other cities in other systems but...they had nothing like this." She said, staring at her reflection in the polished golden handrail. Fox grinned and whispered in her ear,

"Wait till you see the bedrooms."

Krystal smirked and turned around and gave him a pat on the cheek. "Is that all you think about?"

She walked over to the others and grabbed her stuff. Fox joined them and they got their room keys from the front desk. Taking the elevator, they rode up to about the 50th floor. Everyone had their own rooms except for Fox and Krystal who were sharing one as the others would of guessed.

"I'm off to the beach right freakin now. I can't stand this heat much longer." Falco stated, walking into his room.

"Right behind ya." Slippy said. "I third the motion." Peppy agreed, wiping some sweat away with a hankey.

"I think it's safe to say we're all going to the beach so we'll all just meet in the lobby." Fox said and closed his door. He found Krystal sprawled on the large bed enjoying the satin feel of the sheets. He smiled at the sight of her enjoying the most simple things. Things that he and everyone else takes for granted.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked sitting down beside her. The blue vixen rolled over so her head was resting in his lap.

"Very much."

The two sat there for a brief moment not saying anything. Fox just stared at her while he softly stroked her hair.

"Thank you so much for this trip Fox. We really needed it." Krystal finally said.

"No problem. You all deserve it."

Krystal sat up and kissed him softly then got up to go change into her swim wear. Fox smirked and turned on the TV while he started to change.

"...Meteorologists are baffled by Corneria's recent weather as of late. It is said to be the biggest heat wave to have hit Corneria in the past hundred years. In other news, new information has reached officials about the Cornerian weapons supply truck that was hijacked last month. After similar eye witness accounts, it appears the apparently deceased StarWolf team was behind the theft. The three thieves wore masks but two displayed the characteristics of Leon Powalski and Panther Caruso. It can only be assumed that Wolf O'Donnell was the last suspect."

Fox froze at the mention of StarWolf. They were alive after all. It was odd. Whenever the thought of StarWolf entered his brain, images of dogfighting and insults usually came to mind. But now, all he could think about was the way they saved he and his team and sacrificed themselves against the Aparoids.

Fox turned it off just as Krystal came out of the bathroom ready to go. "Fox? Are you ready?"

He stared at her for a moment, his mouth opening to say something but he closed it and gave her a smile.

"Sure. Let's go."

"Is something wrong?" She asked him, a hint of worry in her voice. "It's nothing. Just thinking."

Krystal was not totally convinced but decided she would not push it for now. The two linked arms and headed out to meet the others. Fox made no mention of the broadcast to them either. They didn't need to worry about this. Not now. They would deal with everything when they get back.

To say the beach was crowded was an understatement.

The entire shoreline was littered with people, umbrellas, blankets and more people. It took the team awhile but they finally found a space where all of them could sit. Slippy took off like a rocket towards the water, Peppy was sleeping under the shade of his umbrella and Falco had already begun flirting with some girls and more were coming. The word spread quickly that the StarFox Team was there and small crowds were gathering.

Fox sighed. He was hoping to avoid this. He didn't mind the fame or signing autographs but sometimes it gets to be way too much. Not to mention the fact that almost every guy he saw was drooling over Krystal. Deciding to get away from the craziness that was sure to follow, Fox got up to go for a walk.

Pushing his way past people, Fox headed towards the more secluded area of the shoreline. He walked along the water's edge, waves crashing into his feet the cool ocean water feeling delightfully refreshing on such an unforgivingly hot day. As he moved farther away from the crowds and the noise, the more his mind returned to StarWolf.

"_So they've been alive all this time." _He thought. It was a fact that rubbed Fox in all the wrong ways. He didn't understand why they would stay in hiding for so long only to come out and rob a weapon supply truck and disappear again. Not to mention there has been no reports of fire fights or any other large weapon related activity since the hijacking.

And why did they not launch any sort of attack on them during the city's reconstruction?

Fox and his team had more than their hands full and StarWolf could have taken them down easily. It was the perfect opportunity for them to finally come out on top but yet they were nowhere to be seen.

Wolf was good at taking advantage of a situation and if it involved Fox, he was there ready and determined. That much Fox knew and that is what bothered him the most.

Fox sat down on the rough, warm sand, the sun starting to set behind the ocean. Unfortunately, the weather had not cooled down much. He rubbed his eyes, not wanting to think about StarWolf anymore. He just wanted to relax and enjoy his time away from that sort of thinking. He felt the sand shift beside him and turned his head to see that Krystal had joined him.

"So here you are. I've been looking all over for you." She said, leaning her chin on his shoulder.

"What? You mean to tell me you don't like having men drool over you?" Fox asked with a grin. Krystal chuckled and gave him a coy look.

"I like it when you do it."

Fox grinned and look out over the ocean. Krystal could sense something heavy was on his mind again.

"Is something bothering you Fox? If so, please tell me."

"It's nothing important. Just..."

"Just?" Krystal pushed, trying to get him to open up. "I've just been thinking about StarWolf lately." He confessed, leaving out the part about this mornings news once more.

"StarWolf? That's a little odd. What brought this up?"

"I don't know. I guess it just feels weird knowing that they're dead after all we've been through." He lied. But Krystal had a feeling he was leaving something out and it bothered her. It was not like Fox to keep things from her. Ever since they got together, he has told her everything. About his parents, his former relationships, Andross and all the way to his very darkest fears. But she thought maybe was not the time to push it. He had been incredibly stressed from their work load and when he was ready, he would tell her.

"Well, if you need ever need to talk, I'm right here."

"Isn't that what I told you the first day you came on board?" Fox asked with a smirk.

"What can I say? Your good natured habits just seem to rub off on me."

Fox laughed and picked her up. She though he was going to kiss her but instead, hoisted her up on his shoulder. Carrying her down to the water, with much protest from Krystal, he dumped her in. Krystal resurfaced and with a half amused, half peeved look.

"You are so dead." She said and tackled him into the water. The two laughed as they splashed and dunked each other with Falco and Slippy joining in.

The sun eventually fully set after another hour and the team left the beach, smiles on their faces. The evening provide even more enjoyment as they went out for a nice dinner and caught a show afterwards. It was a great way to start off their vacation.

They arrived back at the hotel and headed up to their rooms. Saying goodnight, they closed their doors. Fox fell onto the bed and yawned. It was going to be fantastic to sleep in nice huge bed. But his thoughts of sleep disappeared when he felt Krystal straddle his waist and slip her hands up his shirt to massage his chest and stomach.

"I hope your not planning on sleeping just yet." She whispered and pulled his shirt over his head. Fox sat up and the two shared a long, passionate kiss. Fox pulled away and said,

"Wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

The stars were shining brightly over the Corneria night sky. If anyone would have stopped to look up, they would of seen a shooting star blasting over the city. Only this star did not disappear like so many of it's brothers before it.

The star started to descend faster and faster towards the planet's surface. It became a torpedo, burning through the atmosphere. As the star came closer to reaching the surface, it was revealed to be an escape pod of some sort. The pod finally crash landed in the tree infested area of one of Corneria's forest, just outside the city. The pod bounced and slid, ripping up the dirt a good forty feet. Silence was followed. Nothing could be heard from the ship nor the wildlife from the surrounding fortress of trees. It sat there for a moment, smoldering in the dirt. Then suddenly a door hissed opened and an eerie mist flowed from the doorway.

A large being stepped out of ship. The air shimmered and danced around it, causing everything It stood in front to bend as if looking through a kaleidoscope. It seemed to be cloaked with some sort of stealth camouflage, not entirely invisible but rays of bending light shrouded It's figure making it impossible to tell if It was Cornerian, Venom or from a different system. The being looked around and sniffed the air. Crouching down then pushing upwards with It's legs, the being jumped higher than any creature on Corneria could of dreamed. It reached the top of a nearby tree in one leap. Looking outwards, it saw the bright lights of the Corneria city. A series of clicks and growls came from this new visitor.

It leaped down and silently made It's way through the dark forest. For something so large it moved like the wind. It continued it's journey until It came to the entrance of the city. It burst with life. Hover cars and people swamped the streets. All fair game.

It would be a good hunt.

_A/N: There's your first chapter. Seems like the team is really enjoying themselves...for now. Anyway, working on Chapter two! Cya!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Chapter 2! _

"Annoying insects."

Leon mumbled as he pulled the hat he was wearing over his face. The streets of Corneria were rather full tonight, with people enjoying the bright night life of the city. Leon wasn't too concerned that someone would recognize him. They were all too busy rushing to nightclubs or displaying public indecency.

There has been quite a bit of heat lately on Star Wolf since they raided a cargo ship full of ammunition that was meant for the Cornerian army. For the last few weeks, police have been patrolling the streets and the sky's, making it very difficult for the team to do anything but keep out of sight.

Leon hated keeping a low profile.

It meant being stuck at the hideout for only God knows how long and being bored out of his mind. It also meant being dressed like this. Leon had a navy baseball cap hiding his face, a pair of faded jean shorts, sneakers and a t-shirt that said "I Heart Corneria."

He felt ridiculous.

He bumped shoulders with some frat boys just coming out of a bar. One of them looked at him like was ready to throw a punch but then just turned around and vomited. Leon let out an exasperated sigh.

"Kill me now Lord."

"If you don't stop bitching, I'll do it myself." Came the gruff reply from his partner beside him. Wolf peered at him sternly behind the dark sunglasses he wore. He was dressed in a bit more relaxed fashion than his teammate. A pair of jeans and black dress shirt which the whole top half was drenched in sweat. The sunglasses obviously to hide his one eye.

He wiped some sweat away from his brow. Wolf was finding the weather to be very unusual as of late. The heat was almost unbearable at some times, even this late at night. If the team wasn't underground right now he would fly to Aquas himself.

Wolf looked at his watch. They were late. He signaled to Leon to turn down an upcoming alley. Leon took a whiff of the air and made a face.

"It's bad enough I have to dress in this absurd fashion and now you drag me down a urine soaked alley way? Xanatos better pay good this time O'Donnell."

"Well we wouldn't have to worry about that if you and Panther hadn't gone and fucked everything up." Wolf snapped at him.

"Hey, it was Panther who decided to try to pursue his affections towards the female pilot." Leon rebutted.

"And if I remember, it was you who told the crew that they were under the mercy of 'The Great Leon'." Wolf added. "Now everyone knows we're still alive and worse, under investigation."

"Hmph. I thought you loved a challenge."

Wolf ignored him and continued to walk. The two continued down the alley way for a little while more until they came to a dead end. There was an iron door with two large doberman guards on both sides. As Wolf and Leon approached, Wolf stopped for a moment and turned around.

"What is it?" Leon asked. Wolf scanned the alley way behind him and the roof tops above. He felt like he was being watched. But all he could see was fire escapes and wet laundry hung out to dry against the clear night sky.

"Nothing." Wolf mumbled, shrugging it off and approached the guards.

"You got business with Xanatos?" The one on the left asked gruffly.

"Tell him Wolf is here."

The one on the right opened the door and walked in. A few seconds later he came back out nodding to his partner.

"Give us your weapons."

Leon was about to protest but Wolf silenced him with a look. The lizard reluctantly gave up his blaster as did Wolf. The guard gave them both a final pat down before letting them in. Once inside they met a sharp dressed german shepard. He stood before them in an expensive black suit, his hands clasped behind his back.

"You are late. Xanatos has been waiting for you." He said eyeing them both. Wolf shrugged and said, "Well, we're here aren't we?"

The shepard frowned at the two. "Follow me." He said and walked down a narrow corridor. Wolf and Leon exchanged glances and followed him. They kept a reasonable distance so they could converse.

"No weapons? Are you insane? We've done hundreds of deals before and never have I had to give up my blaster. This is a trap O'Donnell." Leon hissed at him.

"Just shut up. Xanatos isn't smart enough to set me up. He needs that weapons cargo for his gang and I'm the only one who has enough of it. Now relax and let me do the talking." Wolf snapped back at him.

Leon shook his head and asked, "How did Panther get out of such a ludicrous idea?"

"Because he's out whoring himself to the local women or lounging around that fucking café. Either way, he's useless." Wolf answered. The two then found themselves in a large, empty room that looked like it use to be a hotel room. There were dirty sheets laid upon old furniture and the place was completely covered in dust. Guards with guns surrounded the room and in the middle, behind an old wooden desk was an elderly cheetah in his seventies dressed in a white suit. He peered at them both with annoyance, his dull green eyes narrowing into slits and his wrinkled face twisting into a sneer.

Wolf loved to piss him off.

"Nice digs you got here Xanatos." Wolf said sarcastically. The old cheetah laughed then coughed violently.

"Still a smart ass I see." He wheezed. "Your late O'Donnell. Again. Having trouble with the officials? I would hate to think that the great Wolf O'Donnell is losing his touch."

"Cut me some slack. I've been dead for the last few months." Wolf growled remembering that Xanatos loved to piss him off just as much.

"Indeed. By the way Leon, great disguise."

Leon growled in embarrassment and anger as the room filled with chuckles.

Xanatos nodded to the shepard that led Wolf and Leon to him. He approached the desk and set a briefcase on it. The loud click of the briefcase opening echoed through the room. The shepard opened it to reveal a case full of credits. Wolf removed his glasses to look over the case. His one eye roamed over the credits slowly.

The shepard watched him carefully. He found himself staring at the space pirate's eye patch wondering the story behind it.

Wolf closed the case and looked at Xanatos. "Half a million?"

"A decent amount wouldn't you say?" Xanatos said, stroking a ring that occupied his middle finger on his left hand.

"That's chicken scratch on cargo this big. I want a million."

"What!? A million! Listen you son of a bit..." Xanatos's verbal fit was interrupted by a fit of coughing. Wolf stepped back to avoid any unwanted diseases. The feline looked like he was going to drop dead any minute.

After calming himself down, Xanatos glared at Wolf. "I suggest you take my generous offer..." He croaked. The shepard pulled a blaster from behind his back and the sounds of the guards guns being cocked could be heard. Wolf took a glance behind him to see the two guards from outside had joined them, blocking the door.

Leon wanted to grab the case and just leave while they still had their heads but Wolf stood his ground unaffected.

"Alright, kill me then. But if you do, you'll have to spend more months and money to get the amount of ammunition you need from two bit peddlers off the streets."

Xanatos glared at him fiercely. He then signaled for everyone to lower their guns.

"Seven hundred." He said. Wolf spun around and said, "Goodbye."

"Wait damn it! Wait...fine. A million it is."

Wolf smiled. Xanatos signaled to the shepard who started to fill the briefcase with more credits.

"When can I expect delivery?" He asked. Wolf closed the case and pulled out a small piece of paper. He handed it to him explaining, "Cornerian Harbor, section twenty three. The cargo is all there in holding cell one fifty five."

Wolf turned to leave but Xanatos called after him. "You better not be trying to scam me O'Donnell. Because if you do, I will personally torture you in ways that are unimaginable."

"I'm a professional Xanatos. I would never do anything to shake our solid business relationship." Wolf replied with a mocking tone in his voice. He turned back around only to find the guards still blocking the doors. Wolf turned back to Xanatos, giving him an impatient look.

The crime boss sat in his chair as if trying to read the lupine's mind but finally said, "Let them go."

With that the guards moved and Wolf left, briefcase in hand and Leon following him. The two made it outside and back onto the streets. Leon let out a breath of relief.

"Christ O'Donnell, this is the last time I ever accompany you to a deal." The chameleon said. Wolf smirked.

"Duely noted." Is all he said and continued down the street.

* * *

Xanatos sat in his chair staring at the address Wolf gave him and stroking his ring.

"Derek." He said.

"Sir?" The shepard asked. "Take some men to get the cargo. And on your way...kill O'Donnell and get my money back."

Derek smiled.

"With pleasure sir." He called some guards together and one of them spoke out.

"Hey Charlie, what's on your pants man?" He asked his fellow guard. They all looked at the cougar's faded black jeans to see three dots that form a triangle slowly making it's way up to his chest. Derek instantly knew what it was and shouted, "Get Down!"

Before Charlie could react, a flashing blue bolt of energy came out of the shadows and blew a giant hole right through the cougars chest. He gurgled once and fell over dead. Derek dove over the desk to protect Xanatos, calling out orders.

"Kill the fucker now!"

The remaining six guards started to empty their rounds into the shadows where the bolt came from. Plaster and glass showered down endlessly as laser upon laser hit the unknown. Soon the sounds of clicking was heard as all the guards guns were empty. No one moved as they waited for the dust to clear. After a few moments, they could see they had blown a huge hole in the wall but nothing else. Not a body or even blood.

"What the fu..." One of them started but was cut off as two large, jagged twin blades burst through his chest spraying blood into the air. He was lifted off his feet as the others reloaded their guns and began to fire again. Their beams hit their fellow guard as he was jerked around like some violent dance.

He fell to the floor and suddenly a large webbing net flew out and pinned one of them to the wall. He screamed as the webbing was made of some sort of blade. The webbing started to retract and cut through him. Another guard started to fire but was yanked off his feet and flew back against the door. He gripped at an unseen object that kept him there. A crackling sound was heard and the object shimmered into view. A spear like weapon was sticking out of his chest. The guard felt himself grow weak and closed his eyes for the last time.

Derek watched the carnage from under the desk, still shielding Xanatos. He could hear the screams and the blood splatter. He looked for a way out but that guard pinned against the door was blocking the only way out. Suddenly the noise stopped.

Derek waited a few minutes and whispered to Xanatos, "Stay down sir."

He slowly stood up, blaster ready. He couldn't see anything but death. Bodies were pinned to the wall, some missing limbs and others with gaping holes in them. Derek wanted to throw up. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw it.

A space of air just lightly shimmering and a bit distorted.

Some sort of high tech camouflage. This guy was good but not good enough. Derek spun around and raised his blaster to fire. Unknown to him, the invisible enemy was prepared. As Derek raised the gun, a hand sized disk with blades surrounding it was cast into the air. It made a high pitched whirling sound and decapitated Derek before he could even squeeze the trigger.

Xanatos watched the body of his best body guard crumple to the floor from under his desk. He fumbled with his coat pocket and pulled out a blaster. The desk was then cast aside like a piece of crumpled paper being thrown away. Xanatos could feel his heart beating faster and faster like it was going to explode. He stared up and the camouflaged figure and fired. Nothing happened.

The gun had jammed.

"What do you want?!" He screamed, throwing his gun at the phantom.

A click and growl came from the figure and a twisted version of Derek's voice rang back at him.

"_Kill...fucker...now_!"

The two blades popped back out of nowhere and Xanatos screams fell onto deaf ears.

* * *

"That fucking old coot!" Wolf yelled as he marched down the alley way, back to Xanatos's little hideout.

"Your insane O'Donnell! We can't take them all on!" Leon shouted trying to catch up with him. Wolf spun around and pointed a finger at him with one hand, the other reaching for his blaster.

"Watch me! That son of a bitch only payed eight hundred! No one, but no one fucks over Wolf O'Donnell when it comes to anything, especially money!"

"But that's more than enough!"

"Not if we want to get all three of our ships repaired and make it to the next system!"

With that he kicked opened the door that they had previously entered. Leon sighed hard and pulled out his own blaster. The two aimed through the corridor to find nothing. Slowly they made their way down to the door that Xanatos lurked behind. Leon made a face and spat.

"What is that ungodly odor?"

Wolf smelt it too. The closer they got to the door the more powerful, it became. Wolf wanted to gag it was so bad. They reached the door and Wolf swung it open. Leon and Wolf pointed their guns in the room expecting to blast away at some goons.

Leon dropped his blaster. Wolf was frozen in place as he looked around.

Blood was everywhere. On the walls, on the floor on the furniture. A few arms and legs lay about. The foul stench of death lingered in the air so heavy, it could almost weigh you down.

"Jesus..." Leon mumbled. Wolf looked to the right and saw a large pool of blood. He looked away disgusted.

His ears perked up at the sound of something dripping. He looked back to the blood seeing it ripple. His eyes slowly traveled upward and his mouth hung open at he saw. Leon followed his gaze and uttered the name of God once more.

Eight bodies hung from their feet from the roof above. Some were missing limbs, and two heads. Their fur and skin torn from their bodies. Muscle and tissue were exposed and the faces frozen in a horrified skeletal expression.

Wolf couldn't believe what he was seeing. He's seen some pretty ugly things from some even uglier people, but this was a nightmare. A slight glare came off of one of the bodies hands. Wolf squinted and saw it.

Xanatos's ring.

Xanatos and his entire crew were hanging up there like skinned rabbits. Wolf did his best to keep his lunch down. Leon felt like he was going to black out. The sounds of sirens suddenly diverted their attention from the massacre.

"Shit..." Wolf cursed under his breath. They needed to get out of there now. He grabbed Leon and dragged him towards the corridor. Leon couldn't take his eyes off the bodies as he felt his body being pulled.

"Snap out of it Leon! We have to haul ass now!" Wolf yelled at him. Leon finally pulled his gaze away and both StarWolf members made a run for it, out into the alley and on the streets opposite of where the sirens were coming from.

On a high roof top somewhere in the city, the camouflaged being returned to his camp. It pressed some buttons on It's wrist guard and the camouflage disappeared. The being sat down next to some odd technology and reached into a bag that hung around It's massive chest.

It pulled out a canine and feline skull. Placing the skulls on a stone ledge, the being stared at it.

The canine had been a worthy prey. Not very challenging but it held some sort of dominance over the other drones of the feline. He made a fine souvenir. But the feline was the alpha male, old but respected by his drones. He was the real trophy.

Then they were the other two.

One was another mammal, the other a reptile. It watched them enter the room from outside but didn't see them when It attacked. The mammal had a battle wound on it's eye. Most defiantly a warrior. And most defiantly worthy prey. The creature leaped onto the ledge in a crouching position, looking at the bright lights of the city.

No matter. He would make a trophy out him soon enough.

_A/N: There you go! Chapter 3 coming up!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Chapter 3!_

Fox awoke to the new morning light seeping through the curtains. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand, the other wrapped tightly around Krystal who was still sleeping. She let out a small murmur and cuddled closer to him. Fox grinned and kissed the top of her head.

He lay back into the pillows, staring up at the ceiling.

Fox was starting to realize he was more than glad to get away from the mercenary work for a while. It was taking quite a bit of toll on his nerves as of late. Between the Aparoids and random attacks, he felt the pressure starting to get to him. It wasn't so much that Fox couldn't handle it, it was just he worried about his team mates.

Every time they venture out into space to combat, Fox finds himself nervous and fidgety. He knew they could take care of themselves but it didn't stop his worries. He was their leader. He was responsible for them. If something ever happened, he would never forgive himself.

Fox briefly remembered when Slippy was lost on Titania. After taking a load of damage from Andross's secret weapon, he spun out of control towards the planet. The whole time Fox roamed the surface in the Land Master, he couldn't stop blaming himself for what happened. His team mates tried to convince him it wasn't his fault, that Slippy just rushed into things. But Fox refused to listen. If he had been paying more attention, he would of saw Slippy break formation.

The sudden shift of the body next to his, snapped Fox out of his thoughts. Krystal yawned and ran her hand up and down his chest.

"Mmm...morning." She greeted softly, a small smile upon her muzzle. Fox looked down at her and returned the smile.

"Well how do we feel this fine morning?"

Krystal laughed softly and nuzzled his cheek with hers. "Like a million dollars."

Fox let out a chuckle of his own and turned onto his side so he was facing her. Krystal kissed him softly as she pressed herself tighter against him. They broke away and Krystal sat up out of his embrace and stretched.

"I'm going to hop in the shower. I wouldn't mind some company just so you know." She said slyly and gave him a wink. Fox watched her disappear behind the door and sat up.

"How does a goddess like that end up with a bum like me?" He wondered out loud. Fox sat up and stretched as well. Again he rubbed the sleep from eyes. This intense heat was making him drowsy. He turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. Nothing too interesting was on so he started to get up to join Krystal in the shower when the TV caught his attention suddenly.

"The Cornerian police are both baffled and terrified at a gruesome finding last night."

Fox sat back down and the TV showed a picture of an elderly cheetah. "Leader of the Black Rose gang, Aaron Xanatos was found dead along with members of his faction. Their bodies were stripped of their skin as well as disemboweled."

A brief clip showed a camera trying to get a glimpse of the bodies from behind the police barricade. It was a short clip as an officer stuck his hand over the camera but Fox saw a glimpse of those bodies. A small knot was forming in his stomach. He got this kind of feeling whenever something bad happened and it was going to involve him.

The bathroom door opened and Krystal poked her wet head out.

"When I said I wanted company, I meant you Fox." Fox silenced her with a hand and kept his focus on the TV.

"Witnesses said that they heard extremely loud gunfire and screaming. A call was made to the police and shortly after arriving at the scene, their Patrol Fighter caught this footage of these two men fleeing the premises."

The shaky footage from the Fighter showed two figures dashing out of the alley.

"Unfortunately, their was a short radar interference that caused the Fighter to lose sight of them. But from the footage, the two men have been identified as Wolf O'Donnell and Leon Powalski from the fugitive StarWolf team."

Fox turned off the TV and threw the remote across the room in frustration. He knew something like this was going to happen and he knew it was going to be him to clean it up.

"StarWolf's alive?" Krystal mumbled, looking to Fox who avoided her gaze. She frowned and retreated back into the bathroom, finally aware of what Fox had been hiding.

As if on cue, Fox's communicator on the dresser started to beep, indicating that General Pepper need to talk with him. Sighing heavily, he answered it.

"Fox here."

"I'm assuming you saw the news." Came the General's response.

"Unfortunately."

"I'm sorry Fox. I didn't contact you before because I knew how much you needed this time off. And frankly, I never thought Wolf would stoop to something like this. But this could be a serious threat to Corneria. If StarWolf has gone off the deep end, we'll need the best."

"Understood General. Fox out." He shut off the communicator and rubbed his temples.

Krystal emerged out of the bathroom in a robe and leaned against the door frame, arms across her chest.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Fox scratched his head in frustration and turned to face her. "Because I didn't want to worry you guys. I didn't want you to go back to that god damn ship and rot away like we've been doing."

Krystal sighed and climbed back onto the bed, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'm sorry this happened Fox. But I need you to be honest with me. And with the others. We would have understood. Even if we hated what it would mean."

She said softly and kissed the back of his neck. Fox rubbed her thigh and replied, "I know, I know. I'm sorry."

Krystal gave him a squeeze and got up to pack her things. Fox's thoughts came back to the bodies. He shivered as the images flashed in his brain. He never thought Wolf would be capable of something like this.

Fox's ears flickered in thought. This doesn't seem right. Wolf's been "dead" for the last few months so why would he all of a sudden reappear and start a massacre? Even Wolf wouldn't go that far to let the Lylat System know he's back.

He sat and pondered for awhile longer until he got up to get changed.

* * *

"The minute I see that little shit Leon, I'm going to shove his tail right up his goddamn ass for ruining my vacation." Falco said more than annoyed.

The team had gathered in the lobby, their luggage beside their feet. The only one missing was Fox as he was taking his time getting down there. Peppy wiped some more sweat from his forehead.

"Damn...I was really looking forward to Aquas too. Feels like I'm going to die in this blasted weather." He said. Slippy took a giant swig from his water bottle, agreeing with Peppy.

"Ditto. And I'm sure not looking forward to being cramped in an Arwing in this heat."

Krystal fanned herself with a pamphlet from the front desk saying, "I'm not too thrilled about it either but let's not complain in front of Fox. He's just as angry and I fear pressing the issue will make matters worse."

She had broken the news to them all and their reactions were all the same. Anger mixed in with pure disappointment. Slippy took it the hardest, looking as if he was going to break out into tears. Krystal left out the fact that Fox had not told anyone about knowing StarWolf was alive. The team was already in a fowl enough mood.

"Krystal is right," Peppy nodded. "Fox has been working hard enough and he doesn't need the additional stress from us."

As soon as Peppy finished his sentence, Fox came down the stairs in uniform, identical to the one he wore when he first landed on Sauria. His wing mates stood at attention.

"Ready to go Fox." Slippy said.

"Awaiting orders Fox." Peppy replied.

"By your side." Krystal said softly with a smile.

"Let's go kick some ass already!" Falco shouted. Fox would have smiled at such loyalty and enthusiasm from his team but his expression was soft and somewhat troubled.

"Put your bags down. Your not going anywhere." He said. Everyone gave him a confused look. Krystal eyed him suspiciously. He was hiding something again.

"What do you mean Fox? The General called us in to find StarWolf." Slippy croaked. Fox sighed. They weren't going to like this.

"I managed to convince the General to let me handle StarWolf and you all stay on vacation."

They looked at him in surprise and confusion. "Why the hell would you do that?" Peppy asked slowly and in an irritated manner.

"Because none of you need something I can handle on my own to interfere with your time off." Is all Fox said. Already he could feel the tension starting to thicken.

"But...I want to help you Fox." Slippy said. "As do the rest of us." Peppy added, giving him a stern look. Peppy hated it when Fox did this. He was obviously trying to protect them and put just himself in danger.

"Fox, quit being so damn selfish. We can take care of ourselves out there. You know that." The old hare stated, a bit of anger in his voice. Fox's ears flattened in annoyance.

"Don't argue with me Peppy. My decision is final."

Peppy just snorted in disgust, picked up his bags and headed back to his room in a very fowl mood.

"I don't know why I even bothered to come back to the team when you won't even let us help you." Falco spat and followed Peppy. Slippy didn't say anything. He just gave Fox a sad look and trailed after Falco.

Krystal stood in front of Fox, her arms folded across her chest and a small scowl on her face.

"Well? Aren't you going to scold me too?" Fox mumbled. Krystal just shook her head.

"How could you do this to us Fox? After all they have been through. After all we've been through. You are being selfish."

"By giving up my time off so that you can have it? Yeah, that's selfish alright." Fox said sarcastically. Krystal let out a tired sigh. "I told you we don't care about time off Fox. We care about you and what will happen when we're not around," As she spoke, her voice was getting louder and angrier. "And it's selfish for you to go out and risk your life and all I can do is wonder if your coming back to me!"

Her voice cracked a bit on that last word. Fox could see her trying to fight back tears. He wanted to hug her and comfort her but he had to stay strong. For them and her.

"That's why it makes it so hard for me to do this..." He practically whispered. He stood up straight and addressed Krystal sternly.

"As your commanding superior, I order you to stay with the team until further notice."

Fox felt somewhat sick after the words left his mouth. He has never had to use the 'superior' line before on anyone. What's worst is that he used it on her. Krystal just stared at him, a hurt and angry look on her face.

"Yes sir." She said in a venomous and low voice. She grabbed her things and headed up the stairs, not even bothering to watch Fox leave. Krystal entered the room she was sharing with Fox and slammed her luggage on the bed. She leaned against it, breathing hard. Never had she felt so frustrated and angry with him. Didn't he trust them to take care of themselves? Didn't he trust her?

Krystal looked at herself in the mirror. She was not going to take this lying down and neither would the others. He needed them. Some way or another, they would prove it to him.

* * *

Night had fallen over the city and the moon was full and very large. A moon that large was often referred to as the Hunter's Moon. The moonlight acting as a guide to help predators find their prey.

Tonight was no different.

It silently ran from rooftop to rooftop, clearing the spaces between them easily with powerful jumps. Jumping down, It perched itself on the branch of a nearby tree. With the leaves and It's camouflage, the being was completely invisible.

The beings vision was similar to that of a heat seeking device. It could pick out It's prey by detecting their body heat. Everything else, such as buildings, transportation units or trees were a dark blue color.

It searched the streets for a worthy trophy. So far, It found nothing but random homeless people and prostitutes. It clicked in annoyance. An uneventful hunt tonight. It was about to leave when It picked out another heat signature from the corner of It's vision. It pressed some buttons on the gauntlet It wore on It's left wrist. Three lines that form a triangle focused in on the heat signature and lines of information started to scroll down on the left side of It's vision.

A mammal, Panthera family, well built, blaster in a holster on it's back, approach with caution; could become hostile. Fair game.

Perhaps there would be a hunt after all.

* * *

Panther Caruso strolled to his Speed Bike in a happy mood. Another woman satisfied by the famous lover. "That makes four this week..." He said to himself.

"Alas, they are no Krystal."

Panther sighed. The vixen of his dreams was always out of his reach. She constantly shot down his advances and seemed to show no interest in him. A foreign concept to Panther.

Plus she seemed to have a thing for that vulpine McCloud.

Putting such thoughts aside, Panther hopped on his bike and stuck his keys in the ignition. The engine roared to life and he took off down the street. The wind rushed through his fur as he darted past car after car. Wolf had been giving him shit for staying out so late when they have a warrant out on them. Panther smirked, whizzing past a loading truck.

Wolf needed to get laid. Maybe then he wouldn't have a stick up his ass all the time.

Panther turned off the main road and onto a small dirt one that lead a bit out of the city. As he got farther away from the city, the more trees and other organic structures appeared. Ten minutes later, he arrived at a small clearing. Parking his bike behind some bushes, he made his way to a thick section of brush. Spreading the branches apart, a small hatch door was found. Twisting it, Panther opened the hatch and stepped down a ladder, closing the door after him.

Inside was a long tunnel that stretched for a good forty yards or so. Panther casually made his way through, his footsteps echoing through out the tunnel. He finally came to a door at the end which he pushed opened to reveal a room. There were dozen's of large crates everywhere suggesting that this used to be some sort of underground storage abandon long ago. A couple pieces of furniture were scattered among the room. A couch, a table, some chairs, a TV was in the corner supported by a box. The exposed lighting tubes hummed and flickered, adding some flash effect against the wall.

Leon sat in a chair, reading the Art Of War. He briefly stopped reading as he shot a glance at Panther but then continued. Wolf sat on the couch watching the TV. He didn't even acknowledge that Panther was there. His focus was glued to the screen.

Panther shot a glance at the television and saw the replay to this morning news. He saw the bodies and grimaced. Then he heard that StarWolf were the suspects. His brow wrinkled in confusion and slowly looked to Wolf.

"I hope you have an explanation." He said. Wolf turned off the TV and stood up.

"No I don't. All I can tell you is that Leon and I made the deal, found out Xanatos short changed me and we came back, the place was a slaughterhouse. We just happened to be lucky enough that the police arrived and managed to pin us as the main suspects." Wolf walked over to a fridge and pulled out a drink.

"Of course you would have known this hadn't you been out fucking every woman in the Lylat System."

Panther flashed a toothy grin and pulled out one of his signature roses. "Don't be jealous O'Donnell. Can I help it if woman are attracted to my flawlessness?"

"Tell that to McCloud's blue woman." Leon muttered behind the pages of his book. Panther growled at him. "Like you know anything about women. In fact now that I think about it, you seem to ignore them. To busy trying to get behind Falco eh?"

Leon threw his book down at reached for his blaster but Wolf slammed his drink down onto the table, startling them both.

"Both of you shut up and listen! In case you haven't notice, we got bigger problems than Panther's gigolo service and Leon's suspected homosexuality."

Leon shot him an icy stare but sat back down. Panther just sniffed his rose and played with it's pedals. Wolf continued.

"We are being hunted as fucking mass murders. The sky's are going to be patrolled non stop now and the streets will be filled with cops. We're not just looking at jail time here. Execution has been branded on our asses. They may just shot us on sight instead of arresting us."

"Well then what do you propose O'Donnell? Stay in this God forsaken shelter for the rest of our lives?" Leon asked tiredly. Wolf pulled out a map from his back pocket and unrolled it on the table. It showed a detailed patrol pattern of the Cornerian Air Force.

"When there's a threat to the city, they usually have only a few Fighters patrolling. But due to something like this, it's going to increase ten fold."

"Then how will we get off the planet?" Panther asked, trailing his rose along the edges of the map. Wolf pulled a knife from his boot and traced it to different sections of the map.

"Every three hours a Fighter has to land to rotate pilots. Their landing zones have been labeled here," He pointed to three separate areas of the map. "We recon to the zones and hijack the Fighters. From there we fly to Macbeth."

"Macbeth?" Leon asked a little surprised.

"I have some friends there that owe me some favors. We're going to need weapons. Lot's of em." Wolf explained.

"Why do we need weapons?" Panther asked slowly. Something told him he wasn't going to like what Wolf was going to say next.

"We need all the fire power we can get for when we come back." Leon nearly fell out of his chair. "What!? You want to come back!? We just sold a truck load of weapons to get money so we could leave this place! Your insane O'Donnell!"

"Hey, I'm not going down for someone else's dirty work! I told you before, no one fucks over Wolf O'Donnell. I'm going to have this guys head on a platter so help m..."

Wolf was cut off by the sound of the hatch door slamming shut. The sound echoed through out the tunnel right into the room. Wolf pulled out his blaster and bore holes into Panther.

"You didn't lock the fucking hatch?" He whispered. "I did." Is all the passionate feline said, pulling out his own blaster. Leon was up beside them, his weapon ready to fire. They waited for what seemed like forever. All they could hear was the humming of the lights and the occasional drip of water from some pipes.

Suddenly the door was blasted off it's hinges and Star Wolf dove for cover. They fired shot after shot into the doorway. They were greeted by another blast of laser fire from their visitor.

"_Bastard must of trailed Panther..."_ Wolf thought as a stray blast took out part of the crate he was hiding behind.

The onslaught of laser fire ceased for a moment. Smoke hung heavily in the air and the smell of singed wood was burning in Wolf's nostrils. He could see Panther crouched behind another crate and Leon pulling a flash grenade out of his belt. He nodded to Panther then Leon.

Wolf rolled out as well did Panther, both firing one or two shots each then diving back for cover. As soon as the two hit their cover, a bolt striking just a millisecond from where they were before.

Leon stood up the moment the blast was fired and drew his arm back to chuck the grenade. But it wasn't fast enough as another bolt was fired and separated Leon's hand that held the grenade, right off his wrist. Leon didn't even have time to scream as another blast took out his chest, sending across the room.

Wolf felt his stomach lurch forward. Leon was dead. A blast took out the crate he was hiding behind and he dove behind the couch. Panther took a chance and unloaded shot after shot directly in front of the doorway. Surprisingly, no blast took him out. He kept firing until he was out of ammo, the sound of clicking ringing through out the room.

"Get the fuck down Panther!" Wolf called to him, but it was too late. Panther was lifted upside down by his feet by an unseen foe. Wolf's one eye widened in horror. A large shimmering shape held the struggling Panther. Two knives seemed to pop out of nowhere and slice him in two.

Wolf wanted to throw up but he kept it down. Whatever this thing was, he couldn't fight it. Panther and Leon were trained killers and they were taken down in a flash. He had to get out of there now. Wolf bolted up and knocked over a tower of crates, making a barrier between the two. But it was temporary as a blast took the crates apart.

Wolf ducked and weaved between the crates, trying to get to the back of the room. There was a small emergency hatch only a few feet away. Wolf was just about there when a clawed hand, dug into his shoulder causing him to drop his blaster. He bit back a cry of pain and struggled against it.

A long, pale yellowish colored arm with some sort of armor which the hand belonged too was poking through two crates, pulling Wolf towards it. Wolf tried to beat it off but the grip only got tighter. His eye searched everywhere for a weapon. His blaster was out of reach and he had lost his knife during the fire fight. Then he notices something green resting on a crate.

Leon's hand. Still clutching the flash grenade.

Wolf reached for it. It was just a few centimeters away but the arm was winning the tug of war. Forcing all the strength he had, Wolf lurched forward and grabbed the grenade. Pressing the activation button, he tossed it behind him. A loud bang and blinding flash occurred which caused a roar from his assailant and released it's grip.

Wolf dove towards the hatch and kicked it open. He climbed up a ladder and pushed open another door, emerging outside. Wolf then broke the handle off and fell backwards. He panted hard looking up at the starry sky.

Leon. Panther. Dead.

Wolf struggled to his feet, his shoulder bleeding and throbbing in extreme pain. He looked down at the hatch where inside were the remains of his two team mates. Wolf had an odd sensation of pity and grief come over him. But he shook it off.

They were dead. There was no point crying about it. It was either them or him.

But Wolf knew as he hobbled off into the woods that Leon and Panther's death's would haunt his dreams forever.

* * *

It growled in annoyance as It emerged from the hatch. The mammal had disappeared into the forest.

He was cunning prey. Blinding It for a moment so he could escape. It was impressed but still annoyed It let him get away. But the night had not been a total loss. He had two new trophy's tucked away in the bag that hung across It's chest.

It was creating quite a collection. The more trophy's It brings back to the clan, the more respect and status It will earn. The promise of more hunts and It's own harem. It clicked in approval of It's future rewards.

It pulled out a small object from It's loincloth. Panther's rose. It ran a clawed finger across the pedals.

When the time came, It would find It's prey once more and collect It's trophy. The prey can only hide for so long. And when he runs out of hiding spots, It will be there ready and waiting.

_A/N: There ya go! Sorry to all Leon and Panther fans. Chapter 4 on the way!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Chapter 4! YAY!_

Fox fiddled with his security pass as he rode the elevator to the upper levels of the Cornerian Defense Office. The hum of the elevator ran through his ears as he thought of his earlier actions.

"_Am I being selfish?"_

Fox never liked to second guess his actions when it came to these situations. What he did was for the greater good of the team. Always.

Then why didn't it feel like it this time?

He let out a yawn and stretched his arms. Last night had been rough. He had spent all day reviewing the case files from the massacre, finding it confusing and disturbing. Upon returning to the hotel, he received the cold shoulder from everyone. Krystal slept on the farthest side of their bed and refused to look at him. Fox spent most of the night awake and trying think of a solution for this mess.

The vulpine leaned his head against the cool metal of the elevator's wall and stared at the floor numbers gradually rise. His team was all he had. They were everything to him. He couldn't let them risk their lives against some psychopath skinning people alive. What if one of them ends up like that? What if Krystal...

Fox shut his eyes and blocked out the image out of his brain as fast as it had arrived. This wasn't helping him with the situation. He has to ignore his personal life right now and get back to the task on hand.

Wolf.

Fox has had many battles with Wolf over the years and knows just what kind of person he was. The pirate has done his fair share of illegal and life threatening activities, including trying to kill Fox for the past nine years. Sometimes Fox thinks that Wolf just plain lives on his hatred of him and that all the blasters in the Lylat System wouldn't bring him down until StarFox was destroyed. The lupine was dangerous and deceptive.

But he wasn't a psycho serial killer.

He was capable of some horrible things but skinning people alive and mutilating them seemed a little out of his field. The ding of the elevator reaching the top floor rang through Fox's ears and the door slide open.

Fox made his down a series of hallways, his thoughts still focused on Wolf.

Wolf was a big league player in the trade business. Almost every gang in the system had their weapons thanks to StarWolf. But as good as he was at supplying the scum of the universe, he was especially good at one other thing. Hiding. Wolf's team seemed to have a knack for disappearing when things got hot and for a long time. But that was what bothered Fox. Wolf had been in hiding, pretending he was dead for months. The fact that he would suddenly go crazy and throw a massacre that the whole planet or even the system would know about just didn't add up.

Fox kept walking until he came to a door that read, "Gen. Pepper. Cornerian Defense." Fox opened the door and made his way into a small office.

A few chairs and a coffee table sat against the left side of the room with a water cooler resting in the corner. On the right was a reception desk with at least three fans surrounding a pretty, young vixen typing away at a computer. She noticed Fox and pasted a huge grin on her face.

"Hey handsome." She said with a purr.

"Hello Mallory." Fox said, forcing an amused smile.

"Before you go in and discuss stuff to blow up with the General," She began. "When are you going to let me take you home and show you the best night of your life?"

Fox gave her a tired look and said, "Can you please ring up the General?"

Mallory snickered and pushed some blonde hairs out her face and pushed on the intercom button.

"Mr. McCloud is here sir."

"Send him in." Came a raspy old voice from the other side. She winked at Fox as he opened the door and walked inside Pepper's office. He closed the door and saluted the General.

"At ease Fox." He said and sat down at this desk. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Enjoying the weather?"

"Hardly sir." Fox said with a smirk. Pepper motioned for him to sit down and pulled out some files.

"Before we get into this Fox...are you sure you don't want your team by your side? Your taking a serious risk by being on your own."

Fox looked down at his lap as if trying to find the right answer. "I'd rather not discuss this sir. I made my decision and I plan to follow it through."

Pepper only nodded and picked up the files. He toyed with the edges of the folder and looked Fox in the eyes saying , "We have some new information on StarWolf."

"I'm listening."

"Last night, there was another firefight. Some witnesses said they saw smoke coming from a small part of forest just outside the city and ground troops were sent to investigate."

Pepper left his seat and looked out his massive window to the outside world. He watched as Cornerians went among their lives as they do everyday. He continued.

"They found a small hatch that led into an abandoned underground storage room where StarWolf had been keeping themselves a secret. Leon and Panther were discovered but Wolf's body was no where to be found."

Fox felt a sharp tightness in his chest.

"Body? Sir...are you saying Leon and Panther were killed?"

Pepper turned to him and nodded. "Everything from last night is detailed in those files."

Fox looked at the folder on the desk and stared. He wasn't so sure he wanted to look into those files. He had seen more than enough photos from the first murder scene and it was apparent that they were already starting to work on his nerves. But Fox reached for those files anyway. Inside were reports and photos. The reports had detailed descriptions of the scene and information on the victims. Then there were the photos.

A few were of the actual storage room. Broken furniture and crates were scattered across the floor and the walls were blackened with laser fire. Then Fox saw them. The remains of Panther and Leon. Panther looked as if someone went at him with a chainsaw and Leon hung from the roof, skinned.

Both heads were missing.

Fox closed the folder and rubbed his eyes in disgust and weariness. "Fuck..."

Pepper sat back in his chair and waited for Fox to regain his composure. "We have a serious issue here Fox. More people are going to end up like this with Wolf on the loose."

"With all due respect sir," Fox began. "I don't think Wolf was behind any of this."

Pepper gave him a confused look. "Fox, he was at both crime scenes and he knew all the victims. He's our only suspect and you of all people know what he's capable of."

"Exactly. I know Wolf like the back of my hand and I know he's not a mutilating psychopath."

Pepper was about to speak again but Fox interrupted him. "Think about it General. Wolf convinces all of Corneria that he and his team are dead. Then they hijack a weapons supply truck. Wolf and his crew never take the ground approach, it's always in the air."

Pepper leaned back in his chair waiting for Fox to continue.

"Then he makes a deal with Xanatos's gang where they clearly outnumber him but they all end up hanging from the rooftops skinned and none of the weapons from the truck were found? Both you and I know that Wolf is the primary source of hardware for these thugs. He needed the money. So why would he take out his cash flow?"

General Pepper stared hard at Fox as he continued to talk. He found it odd that Fox would go into such detail to prove the innocence of a man who has tried to kill him on more than one occasion.

"And what about Leon and Panther? Why would he kill his own team mates? Without them, there is no StarWolf. It just doesn't add up." Fox finished.

Pepper sighed and leaned forward in his seat. "It's a known fact Wolf never had a good relationship with Corneria's gangs or his own team, Fox. Would you be surprised if he tried to take them out?"

"Not like this he wouldn't."

General Pepper gave Fox a hard stare and rested his elbows on his desk. "Well then what do you suggest Fox? Because if it's not Wolf, then who else could it be?"

"Let me follow him. I'll see what he really is up to and if I sense anyone's lives in danger...I'll take him out."

Fox felt odd at his hesitation of the idea of erasing Wolf O'Donnell from the galaxy. Normally the idea would have thrilled him. Perhaps it was because of his doubt of the lupine's actions. And perhaps because he saved his life. But if there was a chance that Wolf had really gone insane, then immediate action would be necessary.

Pepper wiped some sweat from his forehead and stared at his desk for a moment. He finally stood up and looked at the mercenary.

"Alright Fox. You will find Wolf and monitor his activities." He said and Fox stood up to salute him and leave but Pepper wasn't finished.

"But know this Fox; If anyone is hurt by Wolf while he is on your watch, then you will resign as StarFox leader and will never fly again. Are we clear?"

Fox saluted the General and nodded.

"Crystal clear sir."

* * *

Wolf slowly opened his eye and let it adjust to the sunlight above him. He tried to shield it with an arm but a sharp pain kept it from moving. He hissed in annoyance and with the other arm, propped himself into a sitting position. He took a look around and suddenly remembered where he was.

Wolf was sitting in a garbage filled alley in a less appealing part of the city. The projects as most called it. The place stunk and Wolf could feel flies hovering around his wounded arm.

That's when images of last night started to replay in his head. Leon and Panther being slaughtered, the clawed hand sinking into his shoulder, getting away and passing out from the pain in this alley.

Wolf shook his head, trying to block out the image and staggered to his feet. Carefully, he peeked around the alley way into the street. He looked for a street sign and recognized the name of a nearby street. There was an apartment just a few blocks away that he used as one of his temporary hideouts.

He needed a shower and drink.

Wolf carefully made his way through a series of alleys, much like the one he was in to avoid anyone seeing him. With it being broad daylight, he had to be extra careful. After about three blocks, he finally came to a withered, run down apartment complex. Making sure the coast was clear, he snuck into the back door.

Wolf continued up a series of steps, ducking into a hallway if anyone were to pass by. Finally he reached his door. He opened it and closed it quickly, locking it several times.

The pirate made his way through the small hallway into a kitchen. It, like most of the apartment, was a little gritty but so was Wolf. He opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of Vodka. Slowly he peeled off his flight vest and grabbing a towel, he soaked it in the sink and gently washed away the blood and grime on his shoulder. He threw the towel away and screwed off the cap of the hard liquor. He took a big swig of it and then poured a good portion of it on his wound. Wolf gritted his teeth and every muscle in his body tensed at the excruciating stinging pain. The last thing he needed was an infection.

After the pain slowly passed, he stripped himself of his clothes and headed for the shower.

The cold water was a heavenly relief from the unbearable heat. Wolf leaned his head against the wall, letting his body soak. His thoughts returned back to his fallen team members.

Wolf made it clear that he didn't like either of them. He often told them how much better off he would be if he put a bullet hole in their heads. Leon was always afraid to take that extra step in almost everything they did. Dog fights and weapon trades. He always wanted to settle for less.

Panther was a good pilot but that's about all he was. Wolf scarcely saw him sometimes as he was out fucking anything that walked. And the way he fondled that rose drove Wolf crazy. He couldn't stand him just as much as Leon.

The both of them were annoying and so caught up in their own worlds that they could never see the bigger picture. And Wolf despised them for that.

Then why did he feel a tightness in his chest and throat every time he saw their faces in his head?

There was no denying it. Wolf did see those two as more than screw ups and useless. They were his friends. And now they were dead.

He turned off the shower, water dripping from his muzzle. His hands balled into fists and he punched the wall hard. He pulled back and threw another fist into the wall. He started throw punch after punch into the shower wall, releasing his anger and shouting out curses.

"Piece...of...shit...mother...fucker!"

Finally he stopped, breathing hard. A crumbling hole sat in front of him. He stared at it for a moment, watching the plaster fall. Wiping his hand, Wolf dried himself off and quickly changed back in to uniform.

He slid a black tank top on after wrapping his shoulder with gauze and headed over to his couch. Wolf flipped it with no cares and revealed a loose floorboard. He pried the board open and inside the floor's interior were a small stash of weapons. Mostly blasters and ammunition, but there was a shock rifle and a sniper rifle. Wolf loaded the guns and tucked the blasters into his belt. He was about to sling the shock rifle over his shoulder when he heard a knock at his door.

Wolf froze.

A trickle of sweat ran down his brow to the tip of his nose. Wolf made no effort to wipe it away. He refused to move a muscle for fear that the authorities were outside and they would hear him. Another knock was heard but there was a voice to follow.

"Mr. Curtis? It's Carrie from next door." A timid and female voice muffled through the locked door.

Wolf let out a sigh of relief. Curtis was one of his aliases when staying in the apartment. Slowly, Wolf walked to the door and looked through the peep hole. There were two figures outside, a small one and a taller one. Wolf unlocked his door but kept a blaster behind his back ready just incase. Grabbing a pair of glasses to hide his eye, he readied himself.

Wolf opened the door slightly to see a young black cat in her mid twenties. Her hair matched her fur as it flowed just past her shoulders and a few bangs hung loosely in front of her jade green eyes. She had a slim and rather attractive build with a dark green dress that gripped her upper body and hung loosely at her legs. With her was a small feline boy of about eight years old. His fur was a mix of black and splashes of white. He wore a pair of faded jeans and an old Corneria University t shirt that was too big for him. He hid behind his mother's legs, staring up at Wolf.

Wolf looked at the two from behind his glasses then finally asked, "What?"

Carrie fidgeted nervously with her hands as the burly wolf stared holes into her from behind his glasses.

"I...uh...accidently g-got your mail again." She mumbled trailing off and handing him a slip of envelopes from her shaky hand.

Wolf's eye scanned the area once more before taking the slips from her. But Wolf noticed something odd as he grabbed the envelopes. Firmly but gently, her gripped Carrie's arm. She jumped slightly and a small whimper escaped her lips.

Wolf could see a few purple patches in random places going up her arm. They were mostly found around the wrist and just under her arm. Bruises. For a bruise to show up through fur as dark as her's, something or someone would have to of applied a large amount of force.

"How did you get these?" Wolf asked.

Carrie bit her lip and gently withdrew her arm from Wolf's grip. "I slipped coming up the stairs last night. Too many grocery bags. "

Wolf could read people like a book but it didn't take that sort of skill to see she was lying. He then shifted his gaze down towards the little boy. He clung to his mother's leg and stared up at Wolf in awe and a little fright. Wolf squinted through the glasses and thought he saw what appeared to be a black eye around his left eye.

Wolf then turned back to Carrie who nervously rubbed her arm. She was looking at him as if she expected him to say or do something.

"You can go now." He told her in a monotone growl. She seemed to be disappointed at his response but only nodded and picked up her son. As they left down the hall towards the apartment next door, the little boy watched him until they disappeared.

Wolf stood in his doorway for a minute then locked the door once more.

He hated the way that kid was looking at him. Not to mention his mother staring at him like he was supposed to do something. Wolf sighed as he sat in an empty chair, grabbing the bottle of Vodka once more. The sound of yelling was heard next door, followed by a loud crash and a short scream.

He stared at the wall where the sounds were coming from, already fully aware of what was happening. Wolf took a swig of the hard stuff and grimaced.

He had his own problems to deal with.

* * *

General Pepper stared out his window, watching the sun go down.

This Wolf business was a real mess. People being skinned and heads removed was something Pepper never thought he would have to deal with. It seemed more like something you would find in a horror movie.

His thoughts returned to Fox's speech. He did make some good points and he trusted Fox to the very end when it came to StarWolf and just about anything else the vulpine was thrown in front of. But he was worried that this might be to much for the mercenary to handle. Especially on his own.

"General Pepper? There someone here to see you." Came Mallory's voice over the intercom. Pepper sighed and replied, "I'm not seeing anyone else today Mallory."

"He says he's hear to discuss Wolf O'Donnell."

The bloodhound paused for a moment. He did not want to deal with this right now. He wanted to go home and relax with the air conditioned blasting. But if he had information, maybe it would solve this whole ordeal a lot sooner.

"Alright, send him in."

The door opened and in walked a coyote. He was tall and strong built, a navy blue suit donning his figure. His fur was a dark brown with a splash of white on his muzzle, clear but hard blue eyes resting just above. He stood in front of the General's desk, his hands folded in front of him.

"Hello General Pepper. My name is Sean Phillips and I'm with the Katina Bureau of Investigation and Defense." He said, speaking with a deep, rough voice.

"Hello Mr. Phillips. What exactly brings you to Corneria?" The General queried, although fully aware of why he was here. It was only a matter of time before they stuck their nose in this.

"News has reached us that Wolf O'Donnell has been involved in a series of gruesome murders. Is this correct?" The coyote asked.

"It is a possibility that we are currently looking into. One of our best is on the job right now." Pepper answered, not wanting to give away too much information. "As good as that is General, I have been sent here to inform you that the Bureau is looking to take this case into it's own hands."

Pepper made no expression other than the stone set, poker faced one he had on right now. He had been expecting this.

"I appreciate Katina's concern Mr. Phillips but this is not their jurisdiction. As I said, Cornerian representatives have already been assigned to this dilemma. Fox McCloud is tracking Wolf O'Donnell as we speak." The General said. Maybe that would get him to leave.

"Fox McCloud? Impressive. He certainly would prove a challenge for O'Donnell." He said, his hands moving to around his back.

"But I don't think he realizes how much of a threat O'Donnell is."

"If anyone knows Wolf best, it's McCloud." Pepper growled, irritated that this man would insult one of the Lylat System's greatest hero.

"I hate to break it to you General but if anyone knows the real Wolf O'Donnell, it's me." He said. "The Bureau has had more than it's fair share of issues with that pirate. He's been responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damages to Katina. I've seen the damage he can do and trust me, he can do a lot worse than this."

General Pepper had heard enough. He stood out of his chair and narrowed his eyes at the agent.

"I don't know if you've noticed Mr. Phillips but this is Corneria. Not Katina. And as long as Wolf O'Donnell is on Corneria, my men will deal with him. Understood?"

Phillips stood his ground. He took a step closer to the General's desk and looked him in the eyes intently, as if trying to hypnotize him.

"I'm not here to argue General," He said, a small frown forming on his lips. "I'm here to catch an extremely dangerous and deceptive murderer. And the last time I checked, Corneria was left in a rather weakened state due to the Aparoids. You barely have enough men to patrol the city and most of them are new recruits, not quite ready for such a situation."

Pepper clenched his fists tightly. He wouldn't admit it but Phillips was right. Thanks to the invasion, Corneria had suffered greatly. They were still short of soldiers and many of them were novices. Even a group of ten would stand little chance against someone as highly trained as O'Donnell.

"I on the other hand," He continued. "I have an arsenal of men at my command and would have O'Donnell tracked down in a matter of hours. I can end this whole nightmare before breakfast."

"That's very impressive but as I said, McCloud will deal with this." Pepper stated, hoping it would end this conversation. There was a moment of silence between the two but finally Phillips look softened and he put up his hands in a defensive manner.

"Alright General. We'll give your boy a shot. But if anything happens. Give me a call."

The coyote left a card on the desk and swiftly turned around, heading out the door. Pepper stared at the card on his desk. He picked it up, an increasing temptation to throw it in the trash coming over him. But instead he pocketed the card.

"_Don't blow this Fox."_ He thought and shut off the office lights.

Agent Phillips exited the Cornerian Military office and made his way to a black car parked out in front. The driver opened the door for him and Phillips stepped in, pulling out his communicator. He punched a few keys into the device and spoke into it.

"It's a no go from the General but I have an idea. Get your gear and meet me in an hour. Fox McCloud is going to have a little accident."

_A/N: Be on the look out for chapter 5. _


End file.
